Dive Watch Releases / Articles

2009-08-20

By TLex I couldn't help sneaking this one up. I know it's not a diver, but it's 200m WR and the Kontiki line follows a nautical theme, besides I'm very fond of the new dial, it would look perfect on a diver.

'Kon-Tiki, a term derived from the Inca tongue, was the name of the famous balsawood raft on which the Norwegian anthropologist and adventurer, Thor Heyerdahl, set off from South America in 1947, determined to sail across the Pacific to French Polynesia. This daring venture using a self-built raft showed that French Polynesia could have been colonized by migrants from South America as well as from Asia.

The voyage took more than two months, during which time Heyerdahl and his crew wore rugged Eterna watches that kept accurate time throughout. Eterna’s line of sports watches bears the name KonTiki in commemoration of this epic crossing.'

From Eterna The XXL version has a 44 millimetre diameter case. The satin-finished or polished cases are water resistance to depths ranging 200 metres.

The face of the KonTiki Date is, completely new. Both black and white dial options, with their date window positioned between 4 and 5 o'clock, feature an outline of Raroia, the atoll in French Polynesia that marked the successful, if unforeseen, end point of Heyerdahl’s expedition. The flat dial and the omission of a dial ring make the watch appear larger and more youthful.

The various versions of the KonTiki Date with their rhodanized, blue or gold-coloured triangular and bar indices feature identically coloured hour, minute and second hands. The luminous white, black or orange material with which they are coated ensures optimum legibility whatever the light conditions.

A characteristic colour accent is provided by the red-tipped second hand. The hour, minute and second hands and the date display of the KonTiki Date are powered by the self-winding Sellita calibre SW 200 movement, which delivers a power reserve of 38 hours.

The timepiece is available on a polished and satin-finished stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp, a brown alligator leather strap with pin buckle, or for an even sportier look, a black leather strap with embossed textile surface, also with a pin buckle. The leather straps feature cross stitching specially developed for the KonTiki collection, a detail that recalls the ropes deployed to build the raft used in the expedition.